2023: Peter Obi rejects award

The Labour Party (LP), presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has left many in shock as he politely but resolutely declined to accept an award given to him by a youth-based organisation in Enugu.

Obi, last Friday in Enugu, turned down the award at a one day conference on the theme: “Shaping the Future”, organised by a youth-based organisation, Boys Champions, held at the Base Events Centre, Enugu.

The LP flagbearer said, while declining the award, that he was an applicant seeking to lead Nigeria to a new dawn and for this reason would not accept any award or accolade until after the end of his tenure as the president of Nigeria, come 2027.

“When I finish as a president, I’ll come for the award.  I am not going away, I am going to work with you.  I am going to reject the award.  I’ll only accept when I have finished,” he maintains.

The former Anambra state governor, said that Nigeria should be able to feed her citizens because she is endowed with enough arable land that can grow different types of crops for consumption and for export.

Talking about food sufficiency, Obi said that Niger State had vast land more than Netherlands yet the country feeds her citizens and even export food and wondered why Nigerians should suffer hunger.

According to him, voted into power, states will no longer be waiting for allocations from the Federation Accounts but should be bouyant and cater for their needs,” he opined saying that next year’s election would determine whether Nigeria would be or not.

“Next year is existential election.  The election will determine whether there will be a Nigerian or not.  We need a good driver to drive Nigeria.

“Next year’s election, do not vote based on tribe or religion.  Vote for competence.  It is not about tribe or religion, let’s rebuild Nigeria,” he pleads.

Founder/Director of Boys Champions, Noel Ifeanyi Alumona, who said that his organisation’s vision is to encourage the youths to maximize their potentials, urged them to be alive to their responsibilities as Nigeria citizens.

Alumona urged them not only to vote in the forthcoming general elections but to vote competent and capable leaders that can turn the country around in the right direction.

He described the youths as the leaders of tomorrow and challenged them to engage our leaders constructively to deliver on their mandate.

“You are the leaders of tomorrow.  The future is in your hands.  You are the change agents that Nigeria needs,” he said.